One Battle After Another, an action-thriller released last year, is the movie of the decade. And with the upcoming Oscars, this movie might have accolades upon accolades piled on its shoulders. Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction is phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio is a great lead actor. Teyana Taylor is a force of nature when she’s delivering dialogue. Sean Penn’s subtle aggressiveness is frightening. Fuck, it’s literally Chase Infiniti’s acting debut, and she’s dominating the screen even amid seasoned actors. The story that deals with immigration policies, corrupt military, and the people who fight back against unfair government couldn’t be more well-timed for a politically tense climate in the United States, and I’m going to root for this movie all the way till I die.

In case you haven’t heard the plot of this movie, here’s a quick setup. When Bob Ferguson (DiCaprio), an ex-revolutionary, is discovered by the cruel Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn), he is forced back into his combative lifestyle to rescue his daughter, Willa (Infiniti). Along the way, Bob is assisted by Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro) and Deandra (Regina Hall). The film also opens with an introduction to Perfidia Beverly Hills (Taylor), Bob’s partner and Willa’s mother, the frontwoman of the revolutionary group this film centers on.

But anyway, let’s talk about music. The one thing that I couldn’t shake while watching were the four prominent needle drops for this movie. For those unaware, a needle drop is a moment in film, TV, or commercial where a pre-existing song is used, unlike a movie composing an original soundtrack. It’s odd that these songs were selected for poignant moments of huge triumph and terrible weakness. However, more importantly, they enhance the main theme of this film—change is essential for the good of all people. This revolutionary belief is essential to the film’s plot. 

To clarify, One Battle After Another has an original soundtrack, composed by the marvelous Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. Those ringing piano notes and tense strings played throughout the film are credited to him. Two unreleased musical cues composed by Jon Brion, a frequent collaborator of Paul Thomas Anderson, are used as well. I’ll talk a little bit about some repeating and diegetic songs that are just fun musical choices, and then I’ll really talk about the non-diegetic tunes that are poignant to the movie’s themes of social change.

Miscellaneous Songs and My General Thoughts:

• “Perfidia” by Los Panchos is a Spanish acoustic guitar medley that plays on screen when Perfidia Beverly Hills is being her badass revolutionary self. In brief words, it sounds cool. The song’s lyrics describe intense heartbreak after a lover leaves, but the film only focuses on the guitar. I guess something could be said about how it signifies Perfidia’s longing to fight for the revolution instead of taking care of her newborn child. Or maybe the song is used as Bob Ferguson’s perspective, his reeling when she leaves them behind. But hey, who can hate that guitar, man!
• Throughout the movie, the members of the French 75 use lyrics from “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron to identify themselves. “Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction…” Two things. The first is that this song is one of the most notable Black Liberation songs from the early seventies, alluding to revolution using comparisons to on-screen entertainment. The second thing is, after reading the lyrics, I kept thinking, “Shit, I need to listen to more jazz.”
• I damn near laughed in the movie theater when I heard both “Mo Bamba” and “Shut Up and Dance.” They both play at the high school dance when Willa Ferguson gets rescued by French 75 member Deandra. Shit had me tweaking. Nothing captures the spirit of being a teenager in high school more than jumping up and down and chanting “FUCK, SHIT, BITCH!” at the top of your lungs.
• Some of this stuff that I delved into—just now and later in the article—is talked about frequently in this Rolling Stone article. I highly recommend it!

“Solider Boy” – The Shirelles

“Oh, my little soldier boy, I’ll be true to you…” You couldn’t have picked a more perfectly uncomfortable yet fitting song for any movie scene ever! 

In the opening of this film, Perfidia and Lockjaw sneaky-link themselves into a hotel room in order to prevent Lockjaw from arresting the French 75. He also has a deep lust for Perfidia, which is nuts. So, this song plays throughout this sexual encounter. It’s clear that Perfidia is the one in charge of Lockjaw, as she continuously rubs his own gun against him, is physically lying on top, and is the only one clothed in this shot. Shoutout Sean Penn for having an incredibly well-toned back. Yet it doesn’t feel like a truly romantic setting, as Lockjaw’s requests to go slower are ignored, and he is trembling either from excitement or fear. He’s powerless. He’s essentially the butt of the joke, decomposing the military honor we thought was intimidating earlier in the movie.

In “Soldier Boy,” the Shirelles swoon about a wife longing for her husband away at war, who stays true to their love. In other words, a woman longing for her military man. And in this scene, we get elements of that, but with some twists. This song empowers a revolutionary woman like Perfidia to dominate the repressive forces in the military, not just through radical change but also on a personal, intimate level, reversing the roles of what the song playing dictates. She’s taking charge over a commanding officer, overthrowing the military we might’ve once feared. And as this song rings out in an ironic fashion, we see that these conventions of a wife waiting for her husband are overthrown and contrasted; here, the “wife” is really longing for victory over her military man.

“Dirty Work” – Steely Dan

“Sixteen years later, the world had changed very little.” That line, coming after a near 34-minute prologue of the French 75 and its dismantling, really sets the stage for how we are introduced to Willa Ferguson, who we can tell in the first shot is a confident young woman doing some kick-ass karate and probably aware of the legacy of a revolution she’s carrying on her shoulders. And you’re telling me that the needle drop to this scene is fucking Steely Dan?! Fuck you, Paul Thomas Anderson, you amazing madman! I was laughing so hard from surprise, shock, and a little bit of fear…

“Dirty Work” is a classic. If you don’t know it, put it on and feel the laid-back groove. Feel that sax, man. It’s like lying on the beach in the summer, probably smoking some doobie. Speaking of which, as this song is playing and we cut away from Willa’s karate class, we cut to Bob smoking some doobie right before a parent-teacher conference. Way to be father of the year, dude!

The song itself is placed ironically. It plays right after a riveting first half-hour, underselling what the current legacies of the French 75 are like for Bob and Willa. Bob, formerly a radical and dangerous revolutionary, is barely keeping it together when he’s high and trying to talk to teachers. Willa, just shown as a baby, is now a near-adult with clear discipline and focus. It’s apparent that Bob has become the adolescent, and Willa the adult. Bob, pretty much rid of any responsibility to his daughter or the revolution, doesn’t want to do any dirty work whatsoever. It’s a letdown of what we expect from Bob, and it showcases how he’s been led astray from his revolutionary self. It’s only when we get the next needle drop that we begin to see Bob in a new light…

“Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” – The Jackson 5

This one I actually missed on the first watch, but oh damn is it fitting. As a nurse, a likely accomplice of Bob’s ally Sergio St. Carlos, unshackles Bob from his hospital bed after being taken by the police, a cheerful rhythm of piano chords slowly fades in. And just as the song becomes more audibly transparent, the lyrics ring out true for an exhilarated Bob on his way to rescue his daughter: “Ready or not / Here I come / You can’t hide / Gonna find you / And keep you happy…”

This Jackson 5 cover of the original Delfonics classic finally puts a bright spin in the film. Right as we see Willa go into hiding and Lockjaw on Willa’s tail, Bob’s rescue allows the audience to root for our protagonist and the success of their rescue mission. It’s a great rejuvenation for the characters and the audience. Plus, it finally gets Bob to lock in and get ready to fight the forces of Lockjaw, using his former skillset as a revolutionary to fight the good battle and see a better future for him and his daughter.

I would recommend reading more about this use of a needle drop in this Collider article. This writer states that the use of an older song like “Ready or Not Here I Come” reflects the former life of Bob as an expert revolutionary. Now, as a struggling paranoid stoner who has lost his ways, this song reminds him of his skillset, which enables him to rescue his daughter. It’s touching, isn’t it?

Overall, what a fun track to play while you get broken out of a hospital and you and your daughter’s sensei drink beers and drive off in a hurry. Type shit.

“American Girl” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

There’s a lot to unpack with the conclusion of this monumental film, and so few songs that can perfectly match the emotional reunion of Bob and Willa, not to mention the demise of Lockjaw. But this was just one battle to get through, and it’s still a difficult journey for change. After reading a sentimental letter from her mother, Willa overhears radio chatter of a protest in Oakland, which Bob remarks is a three and a half-hour drive away. So which song can fuel the audience to root for Willa’s long quest ahead?

Tom Petty’s guitar rings out that familiar riff. Fuck yeah, what a great closing track.

It’s already an upbeat, fast-tempo track. But compared to the reviving spirit of “Ready Or Not Here I Come,” this song isn’t meant to be a celebration; it’s fulfillment and determination, despite the odds. “Well, she was an American girl / Raised on promises / She couldn't help thinking that there / Was a little more to life somewhere else.” Hearing that verse with the closing title card is just so cool, dammit.

Overall, it solidifies Willa’s role to fight for the revolution, much like her parents. The “American Girl” in this film is Willa, fighting for the necessary change that’s so desperately needed for this country, no matter how challenging it may be. It’s the perfect motivator for any citizen to fight for the most just causes in this country; God help us all, we need it.